Former shooting champion held for trading in illegal arms, ammunition

Mukarram Ali, a graduate from the University of Hyderabad, was a professional shooter who won several championships

Delhi Police’s special cell on Monday arrested a man, reportedly a shooting champion, for his alleged involvement in the illegal arm and ammunition trade. The police recovered 5,500 live cartridges and 63 empty cartridges from his possession.

Mukarram Ali, a graduate from the University of Hyderabad, was a professional shooter who won several championships. (Hindustan Times)

Mukarram Ali, a graduate from the University of Hyderabad and a professional shooter who won several championships, allegedly procured ammunition from one Akshay, also a shooter, to sell them in Delhi and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

“A haul of 5,000 live cartridges of .22 bore, 500 hollow point, 30 empty cartridges of prohibited 9 MM; 33 empty cartridges of .325 bore was recovered from his possession. A Scorpio car being used to transport the ammunition was seized,” deputy commissioner of police, special cell, PS Kushwaha said.

According to the police, an in-house study into the growing use of sophisticated firearms over the last few years revealed that in most cases, illegal weapons and ammunition used for crimes in Delhi and the other NCR towns were being supplied by smuggling consignments from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

A special team was formed and informers deployed in and around Delhi, Haryana and UP West. “On May 2, specific information was received that a huge consignment of illegal ammunition will be supplied near Kalindi Kunj Barrage, Delhi. Acting on the tip-off, our team reached the spot and the person was arrested,” Kushwaha said.

During questioning it was revealed that Ali procured illegal ammunition from another shooter, Akshay, and sold them to one Monu.

“Ali used to purchase the cartridges of .22 bore and .22 hollow point cartridges from Akshay at `20 and `50 per cartridge and sell them to Sonu and Mehandi for `30 and `60 per cartridge respectively,” Kushwaha said.

Ali reportedly took up shotgun shooting as a sport since he was living close to Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tuglakabad. In the year 2013, he competed in 33rd North Zone Shooting Championship held in Delhi and won a silver medal in double trap at state level.

He participated in the 29th Delhi State Shooting Championship in the year 2013 and secured the second position in double trap.

“It is only after this that he came in contact with Mehandi and Sonu that he indulged in supply of illegal firearms and ammunition. His antecedents are being verified,” Kushwaha said.